


Separation (Day 6: [Distance] - Family

by Inkpot



Series: Infidget Week 2019 [6]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: (they identify as partners in case you wondered), Alternate Universe, Angst, M/M, Other, Queerplatonic Relationships, Riddle Me This, Severed soul bond, Soul Bond, hey look it's one of the three post-fic AT timelines, how can you miss someone who's only inches away?, semiverbal Gadget the Wolf, some happy endings have side effects, very easily at times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-10-18 02:03:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20631284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkpot/pseuds/Inkpot
Summary: His mind was so dark with only himself in it.Or, the one downside of a mental link is that getting used to it is far easier than getting used to its absence.





	Separation (Day 6: [Distance] - Family

**Author's Note:**

> AU notes for today: in AT, Gadget and Finn have a mind link thing. This ficlet is set in a timeline where a success in one area broke that link.   
That's about all, hope you enjoy! (And let me know if your heart hurts, I'd like to know if I did my job right.)

Finn huffed as he flopped down on the grass beside Gadget. He knew the faint flush on his cheeks stood out like a traffic light at midnight, but if he didn’t say anything Gadget wouldn’t. Probably. “Honestly, those guys could stop with that. Anytime.”

Gadget laughed silently, breath puffing out in short bursts.

Finn scowled him. “Seriously. You’d think saying we’re not dating once would be enough. Maybe twice.”

_They’d stop if you asked_, Gadget signed, still laughing a little.

“Yeah, I know. But I’ll let the idiots have their fun.” He glanced sideways at Gadget. “You don’t mind, do you?”

_No. They understand most of it, so._ Gadget shrugged, letting the quirk of his smile finish for him.

Finn huffed, a more amused sound this time. He leaned over to lay his head against Gadget’s shoulder while looking out at the rest of their group, smiling to himself when Gadget automatically wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “It’s good to be back,” he said, staring out at where most of the others had gathered. Shadow and Knuckles were standing to one side, and a few members of Finn’s group were also hanging back, but most of the group was exchanging enthusiastic greetings or already getting into trouble. Surprisingly nobody had yelled at Sonic loud enough for them to hear. Yet.

Gadget adjusted his position, freeing his hands just long enough to respond. _It’s good to have you back._

Finn hummed quietly, but didn’t say anything further.

They sat there for a minute, leaning against each other as they watched the others.

“I miss you,” Gadget finally said, his hold tightening for a split second.

Miss. Present tense. Finn’s free hand came up to touch his chest, where the ruby was concealed under his vest. The void in the back of his mind ached suddenly and acutely.

It took him a long moment to speak around the lump in his throat. “I miss you too.”

There was another short moment of quiet. Then Gadget shifted, reaching down to scoop Finn into his lap. Finn didn’t even flinch, just wrapped his arms tight around Gadget’s neck and pressed their foreheads together, eyes squeezed shut against the sudden burning wetness in them. Gadget hugged him just as tightly. Neither of them paid any mind to the ruby pressing uncomfortably between their chests.

They stayed like that, Finn straddling Gadget, curled as close as they could with only physical contact. It _hurt_, he hadn’t expected it to hurt this badly being separated again. But it did, a painful emptiness where Gadget’s presence was supposed to be, a single mind radiating more emotion than he’d ever imagined could be packed into one body. His mind was so dark with only himself in it.

He vaguely realized he was mumbling, little nonsense words that might have had some meaning if he could pick apart his own thoughts enough to grasp it. But his mind was a swirl of chaos and him without an anchor, and the best he could do was cling to the grounding pressure of Gadget’s arms around him.

His thoughts calmed slowly, senses coming back into play enough to realize the tears had started falling at some point, wet trails cooling his cheeks. For once, though, he didn’t feel any shame. He knew that if he opened his eyes Gadget would have trails to match.

“Not again,” he said, his voice rough. He clarified a moment later. “We’re not splitting up again. If we travel, we go together. It… it didn’t help anyway.”

Gadget’s hold tightened somehow. “Okay.”

“…How long do we have until someone-?”

“Sonic’s there.”

Finn relaxed some, his grip on Gadget still firm but less desperate. “Okay. We can… okay.”

They didn’t move for a long while.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr [here](lessinkmoregraphite.tumblr.com).
> 
> Pic for the fic can be found [here](https://lessinkmoregraphite.tumblr.com/post/187697887057/day-6-of-infidgetweek-distance-family-fic-for).


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